Improvement in fans



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN M. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT iN FANS..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 51,228., datedNovember 28, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN M. SMITH, of tbe city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fans; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,vforming part of this specification.

In the manufacture and use of fans for cooling and refreshing the air inwarm weather by agitating the same, it has long been considered a greatdesideratuin to give strength and rigidity to the same withoutincreasing their weight, which would render them inconvenient andtiresome to use.

In the present invention I have succeeded in accomplishing the desiredresult, and in a novel and simple manner, the same consisting in formingthe body of the fan of one or more thin sheets of any desired kindofwood, fastened together by glue, cement, or by any other proper means,and attached to a suitable handle or stick; also, in addition to theabove, imparting stiffness and strength to any and all kinds of fans,whether made of paper, card, silk, wood, or any other material, byforming and placing upon and entirely around their outer edges or rims aproper shaped metallic band or bands, which are securely fastenedthereto in any suitable manner.

Having thus in general terms stated the principal features ot' thepresent invention, I will now proceed to describe the same in detail,reference being had tothe accom panyin gplate of drawings, of which-Figure l is a front View of my improved fan made of two veneers; Fig 2,a central section through handle and body of a fan made of one sheet orveneer of wood.

a, a in the accompanying drawings represent the handle of a fan, made ofany desired shape and material, in the slot b of which, and fastened inany proper manner, is inserted the body c of the fan, made of a thinsheet of veneer, either rose-wood, mahogony, black walnut, or any otherdesired wood, and in any forni-circular, polygonal, Sto. Around theperiphery of the fan c a metallic band, d, is placed by rivets or in anyproper manner.

By thus constructing the body of the fan of a thin sheet of veneer, asdescribed, not only is a light and convenient fan for handling secured,but also one which has more strength, rigidity, and stiffness than couldbe obtained by forming the same of any of the ordinary materialsheretofore used, such as silk, cardboard, paper, Stv. And it is evidentthat by binding the edge or edges of the fan with any proper shapedmetallic band, as above de` scribed, siill greater strength and sti'nessis imparted to the same, and the cracking of its edges prevented, andthat also any fan made of any of the ordinary materials heretofore usedcan be considerably strengthened by attachin;` the said band to thesame.

In lieu of forming the body of the fan of only one thin sheet of Veneer,as described, it can be formed of an y desired number of veneers, whichcan be fastened together, surface to snr face, by means or cement, glue,or any other suitable adhesive material, or the metallic band would besufficient in many cases, esspecially where the fan is small in size.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a new article ofmanufacture- A fan constructed of veneer, strengthened with a rim' ofmetal or other suitable material, substantially as herein described.

l Y BENJAMIN M. SMITH.

A. E. BEACH, A. W. BROWN.

